Review of Blame It on Rio (1984) by Del T — 10 May 2010

Bright, lively, comedic fun. Musical and comedy filmmaking legend, Stanley Donen, retired after directing this overlooked gem. Police Academy came out at the same time, and ended up stealing most of the comedy dollars in Spring 1984, but of the two, this is the one I still remember most, and revisit. Still funny as ever.

Buddies Michael Caine and Joseph Bologna's take their families on vacation in Rio. Things turn complicated as Bologna's stunningly gorgeous 17 year old daughter, Michelle Johnson, who is madly in love with 43 year old Caine, makes her move. He tries his best to resist her charms, but one drunken night on the beach, he gives in to temptation.

Caine can't bear to face his friend, and hilarity escalates as Bologna is determined to find and kill the guy who took advantage of his daughter, and Caine desperately tries to hide his guilt, all the while trying to fight off further advances from Michelle, but knows he's doomed.

A pre implant, Demi Moore, plays Caine's daughter, and provides some sobering advice to her dad, and he makes the valid point that she is more mature than he is.

Abundant female nudity ( it is Rio after all ), laugh out loud sexual hijinks, creatively embarrassing situations, beautiful location shooting, all anchored by one of Caine's funniest performances. And I loved the narrative device of the characters breaking the third wall, giving their own running commentary, directly to the audience. Commentary that turns bittersweet towards the end, but it's the right approach by Donen. He ends his film career on a high note.